BETA.HEALTH creates the framework for healthcare innovations and new technological solutions

This post is also available in: Danish

We must help solve the healthcare system’s capacity challenges and make clinical innovation an integral part of everyday life in Danish hospitals.

This was the ambitious goal behind the BETA.HEALTH platform, which was launched with support from the Novo Nordisk Foundation back in 2022 and has the university hospitals in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg behind it. And in the short time since its launch, BETA.HEALTH has found a special place in the healthtechIt's all about bringing in new ideas and making healthcare more innovative across the whole system: To make healthcare easier to access and help patients. More ecosystem with early-stage grants and a tailored acceleration program:

“Our acceleratorAn accelerator is an intensive program that provides startups with mentorship, education, resources, and sometimes funding to accelerate their growth. More program differs from other similar programs by being anchored in the hospitals – we are close to the hospitals’ everyday life and have easier access to patients, clinicians and specialists. This close collaboration shortens the path to the users and customers who will end up buying the solution,” explains Mikkel Møl Dalsgaard, Innovation Project Lead at BETA.HEALTH.

Applicants accepted into the program receive a grant of either DKK 500,000 or DKK 1,000,000 and a 6-9 month accelerator program with masterclasses, workshops, a dedicated business developer and access to a large network of specialists, investors and industry experts. The goal of the program is to develop and scale new, research-based solutions both nationally and internationally.

A good example is Zeta Diagnostics, a former BETA.HEALTH project. Difficulty regulating middle ear pressure is currently the underlying cause of 80% of all consultations with ear specialists and is a precursor to many serious ear problems. Zeta Diagnostics has therefore developed a diagnostic tool that allows ear specialists to make quick and reliable diagnoses, freeing up tens of thousands of consultations in the future – while providing patients with faster treatment.

“Throughout the BETA process, the focus, together with the experienced founder team, was on health economic mapping, product development and clinical/regulatory strategy and Zeta Diagnostics has since been funded by BioInnovation Institute, probably the most prestigious player in Life Science in this part of the world. They have come a long way and are one of several examples that show how support from BETA.HEALTH can really make a difference for early innovation projects,” says Mikkel Møl Dalsgaard.

About: BETA.HEALTH
BETA.HEALTH participants are supported through 3 tracks to turn clinical research into working solutions.

– GRANT: Applicants can apply twice a year for grants of either DKK 500,000 or DKK 1,000,000. The program awards up to DKK 16 million annually, corresponding to approximately 24 grants per year.

– SKILL DEVELOPMENT: Masterclasses, workshops and events that strengthen participants’ innovation skills.

– ACCELERATOR: A 6-9 month development program with dedicated business development and access to a large network of experts.

Application for BETA.HEALTH is currently open and can be found here.

Unique entry point to the healthcare sector

BETA.HEALTH can be applied for by employees at Danish hospitals, pre-hospitals and psychiatries – either alone or in collaboration with a startup or an established company. What matters is that the team behind the project has a research-based solution that can benefit patients and society both nationally and internationally.

“We emphasize research-based, as the solutions included in the program must be based on research-based evidence to prove that there is a basis for developing a solution. A small incremental improvement can also have great value, but that’s not what we support,” Mikkel Møl Dalsgaard explains.

So far, startups make up about half of the projects that have been through BETA.HEALTH’s accelerator program. The remaining projects are equally divided between industry collaboration, where a solution is developed and commercialized in a partnership, and internal innovation projects that are implemented directly in hospitals. All projects have the potential to make a difference for patients and healthcare and need help to take the next steps.

“Developing new solutions for the healthcare sector is complicated in itself. But the real test is when you need to establish test collaborations, get regulatory approvals and get your solution implemented in practice. And that’s where we have a clear advantage and something unique to offer,” says Mikkel Møl Dalsgaard.

BETA.HEALTH focus areas:
– CAPACITY CHALLENGES: Solutions that can move patients better and faster through the healthcare system or solve healthcare problems in a more sustainable way.

– EARLY DETECTION: Solutions that help make a diagnosis faster and earlier, so patients receive the right treatment sooner.

– HEALTH IN THE HOME: Solutions that enable treatment in the patient’s own home

Application for BETA.HEALTH is currently open and can be found here.